Refrigerator car



May 27, 1930. w. c. STONE REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Oct 28, 192

Patented May 27, 1930 UNHT E D STA Ta s PATENT OFFICE WALTER C. STONE, F WEBSTER GROVE S MISSOURI REFRIGERATOR CAR Application filed. October 28, 1927. Serial No. 229,355.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerator cars.

An object of the invention is to provide an extension drain for the usual ice box drain pipe of refrigerator cars, whereby the dis charge from the drain pipe is conducted to a point outside of and clear of the trucks and other parts of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, which is pivotally mounted in such manner that the same may be moved from an operative position to an inoperative position to permit the inser tion of a suitable implement into the drain pipe for the purpose of cleaning the same, to

gether with means which normally operate to sectional view. corresponding to the broken line 2-2 of Figure 1. And Figure 3 isa view similar to Figure 1 showing the invention applied to'a car of a somewhat different type and wherein the operative position of the extension drain is shown in full lines, and

the inoperative position in dotted lines.

In Figures 1 and 2 of said drawings, indicates a side sill of-a refrigerator car underframe. 11 the usual flooring, comprised of multiple layers of planks, and 12 indicates the side wall structure of the car. As customary in refrigerator cars, the drain pipe is located somewhat inwardly of the side wall of the car and inwardly of the side sill 10, and at a point over the car truck. A common formof drain appliance is indicated in the drawings, which consists of a bowl 13,

counter-sunk into a suitable circular opening cut out from the floor, the bowl having a drain pipe section 14 which extends down- I wardly from the bottom of the bowl 13 a suitable distance as shown, the water which enters the bowl 13 gradually overflowing into the pipe 14: and out of the lower end thereof. The parts so far described are or may be of any well known or desired construction. As

will be-understood by-those skilled in the art, the water dripping from the pipe 1 1 will fall down onto the truck parts immediatelytherebelow and keep the latter constantly wet, the drippings spattering as the car is in motion. This causes an unsightlycondition of the truck and promotes excessive corrosion.

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide what may be termed an attachment in the form of a drain spout extension designated. generally by the reference character 15. The drain spout extension 15 is of approximately U-cross-section having side walls 16-16,

which merge into an arcuate bottom wall 17 the side walls 16-16 being relatively narrow at the lower end of the spoutto impart to the spout a reduced discharged end indicated at 18. The side walls 16-16 gradually widen toward the inlet end of the spout as'indicated at 19, and said side walls are provided with extensions 20-20 adjacent the free ends thereof at the inlet end of the spout extension. Each of the extensions 20'is, provided with an outwardly disposed, laterally extending trunnion 21, the trunnion in cross-sectional form being relatively large atone side as in- 'dicated at22, and tapering to a point as in- I dicated at 23, the enlarged portion 22 being rounded as shown. The trunnions 21-21 are supported by means of arms 245-2 1, connected at their inner ends by means of a web 25, which is secured to the side sill member 10by means of rivets indicated at 26, the

arms 24-24 being inclined downwardly so that the lower ends thereof arelocatedin the proper position for the reception of the trunnions 21-21 of the drain extension spout 15. The ends of the arms 24;24' are. provided with openings indicated at 27, said openings being adapted for the receptionof the trunnions 21-21. Each of theopenings 27 has an upper enlarged portion 28, and a reduced or restricted portion 29 adapted for the re-- iii) 'ings 27 permitting the spout extension to be ception of the reduced end 23 of the trunnion 21, the trunnions and bearing openings being so arranged as to normally hold the extension drain spout in its operative position with respect to the drain pipe 14, whereby the discharge from said drain pipe is conducted by the spout to a point outwardly of the parts of the car ordinarily located beneath the drain spout 14, preventing the drippings from said drain spout falling upon said car parts and corroding the same. When it becomes necessary to clean the drain pipe 14, the extension spout 15 may be grasped by the operator and rotated, causing the trunnions 21 to move up into the enlarged portions 2'8 of the openuntil it-is again desired to clean the pipe 14.

Referring now to the construction shown in F lgure 3, the inventlon r'sshown as applied to a somewhat different type of car than that illustrated in Figure 1. Inthis construction,

the side wall is of greater depth than the side wall'12 heretofore referred to, and the bottom of the car has spaced walls 31 and 32 defining an air insulating space 33 therebetween. The bowl 34 is mounted in the wall 31, and extends-into the air space 33, the bottom of the bowl being provided with a drain pipe 35'of somewhat greater length than the pipe 14. The side sill 36projectsbelow the wall 30 and secured to the web of the sill 36 is a U-shaped member 37 having spaced arms sim lar to the arms 2424 except in this case the arms are mchned upwardly instead of downwardly. The ends of the arms are provided with trunnion-receiving openings indicated at 38, each of said openings'having vertical walls 39 and 40, the wall 40 beingin clined toward theiwall 39 as indicated at 41.

I Each of'the openings 38 receives a trunnion 42 of the same character as trunnion 21 with the smaller end thereof adapted'to be disposed in the reduced-lower end of the opening 38.

The trunnions 42 are formed upon extensions upon the side walls 43 of the extension spout i 44, the extension spout 44 being substantially of the same character as the spout 15, except it is of somewhat shorter length. By'reason ofthe location of the trunnions 42 and the formation of said trunnions and the openings 38, in which they are mounted, the spout 44 is "disposed in an over-balanced condition, with a tendency to sw ng outwardlyas viewed in F1gure 3, the spout being so located as to bear against the flange 45 of the sill 36 and be 'tion with respect to said drain maintained in operative position with respect to the pipe 35. lVhen it is desired to clean the pipe 35, the spout 44 is swung in a clockwise direction to the dotted line position as viewed in Figure 3, which positions the spout so that a cleaning implement may be inserted into the pipe 35 when necessary.

While I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come with in the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. In a refrigerator car having an ice box and a drainpipe located inwardly of the side of the'car; a drain extensionm-ovably supported directly on the car proper co-operating with said drain pipe for conducting the discharge thereof outwardly of the car, said drain extension being movable to a position to render the discharge opening of the drain pipe accessible to permit cleaning of the drain pipe. i

2. In a refrigerator car having a drain pipe with the discharge end. thereof located inwardly of the side wall of the-car; an. extension drain spout disposed beneath the lower end of said drain pipe and arranged tocatch the drippings therefrom, said spout being pivotally'mounted' on the car body independently of saiddrain pipe to permit the same to be moved to anout ofthe way posipipe to permit cleaning of the latter.

3. In a refrigerator car, having a drain pipe located with the discharge end thereof inwardly of the side wall of the car; an eX- tension drain spout pivotally mounted on said car in normally overbalanced condition and in operative position, said spout being movable from operative to inoperative position and vice versa; and means normally locking said spout inoperative position with respect to said drain pipe.

4. A drain spout for a refrigerator car having adrain pipe with the discharge end thereof extending below the floorlevel and located inwardly of the sidewall of the car,

. said spout having an upper endwithin which the discharge end of the drain pipe is adapted to be received and a lower discharge end eX tended to a point outwardly of the car; and

means for inovably attaching said spout to the car structure. V V v 5'. In a refrigerator car having a drain pipe with the discharge end thereof disposed inwardly of the side wall of the car; anextension drain spout mounted upon said car, the mounting comprising a pivotal connection adapted to support said spout in overbalanced condition, said connection having interengaging parts adapted to normally maintain said spout, in its over-balanced condition, in operative relation with said drain pipe.

6. A drain spout for a refrigerator car having a drain pipe with the discharge end thereof extending below the floor level and located inwardly of the sidewall of the car, said spout having an open upper end within which the discharge end of the pipe is adapted to be received and a lower discharge end extending to a point outwardly of the car and means for attaching said spout to the car structure, said means including an element secured to the car structure and provided with arms having elongated openings therein having reduced portions, and trunnions on said spout loosely disposed in said openings and having portions engageable with the reduced portions provided by said openings, whereby said spout is normally maintained in operative position with respect to said drain pipe, and movable to an inoperative position when said trunnions are disengaged from the reduced portions provided by said openings.

WALTER C. STONE. 

